Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the very essence of another human being unless he loves him. By his love he is enabled to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and even more, he sees that which is potential in him, which is not yet actualized but yet ought to be actualized. Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables the beloved person to actualize these potentialities. By making him aware of what he can be and of what he should become, he makes these potentialities come true.
Viktor Frankl on love, from his timeless classic Man’s Search for Meaning.

(via explore-blog)

There's More to Life Than Being Happy

a very good read

some excerpts:

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing,” Frankl wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning, “the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

“It is the very pursuit of happiness,” Frankl knew, “that thwarts happiness.”

Leading a happy life, the psychologists found, is associated with being a “taker” while leading a meaningful life corresponds with being a “giver.”

“Happy people get a lot of joy from receiving benefits from others while people leading meaningful lives get a lot of joy from giving to others,” explained Kathleen Vohs

but in my view, it depends what meaning is put into the concept of happiness… if you ask me about the moments when i felt happy - they can be described as both being a giver and taker. and in fact lately i understand that the reason for me being unhappy is because i feel as i’m not giving enough to others, to the world, even to myself :)) and giving is not as you cut from your own being and then suffer… giving is also a selfish process, you give and you feel good, although maybe not externalizing it. and if you suffer, maybe you indulge in suffering?

but i so agree that attitude is really important